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Towards the MatterhornA beautiful high valley
The little-discovered Val d'Anniviers, a high valley with a strong individuality in the French-speaking Valais in the south, is one of Switzerland's loveliest corners, its picture-book villages immersed in awe-inspiring high-mountain scenery. Walking here is tremendous and thoroughly rewarding. As you wind your way along the mountain paths, you will glimpse the mighty Matterhorn beyond the head of the valley in clear weather. Enjoy high standards of hospitality, too, with delicious cuisine (featuring lake and river fish, game in season, and mountain cheeses) and tasty wines from the Rhône Valley below. The Val d'Anniviers enjoys one of the sunniest climates in Switzerland, with wonderful summer flowers and many fine days in September. The itinerary is completely flexible for those who want to take things a little easier. Nights: 7
Starting point: Romantik Hotel Bella Tola (4*), St-Luc. This favourite hotel offers spacious bedrooms, inspiring views of the mountains, excellent cuisine and plenty of space in which to relax, including a superb spa and a panoramic indoor splash pool. Claude and Anne-Françoise Buchs are charming and attentive hosts who have worked hard to maintain and enhance the romantic, fin-de-siècle feel of the hotel. To make your stay extra special, you can upgrade to a room with a balcony or a 'romantic room' (with or without balcony). Day 1: there are various walking possibilities from St-Luc. We
recommend that you head north to Chandolin, one of Europe's highest villages
to be inhabited all year round, which has many old wooden houses typical
of the area. You can then return via St-Luc's fascinating observatory
and the 6-kilometre chemin des planètes, a path with scale
models of the planets in the solar system. For a more strenuous walk,
take the funicular (pay locally) and ascend to the summit of Mount Bella
Tola (3,025 metres), from where you descend past Lake Bella Tola
to St-Luc. (13km, 4hrs or 15km, 5hrs)
Day 2: from St-Luc you ascend steeply along the Torrent du Moulin,
passing numerous attractive waterfalls. (Alternatively, you could take
the funicular – pay locally.) The route then leads along the west-facing
slopes of the rocky Nava mountain ridge, well above the tree line, with
breathtaking views in clear weather up the valley to the Matterhorn and
a ring of other peaks over 4,000 metres high – a humbling view. You keep
the contour round the dramatic valley of the streams flowing down from
the Forcletta before descending steeply under the tree line through a couple of
small valleys into Zinal. (15km, 5hrs) Day 3: the 'classic' – and most panoramic – route to Grimentz
is via the Corne de Sorebois (2,895 metres). You start by taking the cable
car (pay locally), which offers good views in clear weather of the Matterhorn, then
ascend to the summit. As you descend, you can
detour to the peak of the Pointe de Tsirouc (2,778 metres), which offers
what is considered to be the finest of all the views of the Val d'Anniviers.
Otherwise, you descend to Lake Moiry and cross its dam, with views
of the glacier to the south. You then follow an ancient trade route to
Bendolla, from where you can walk or take the cable car to Grimentz. There
is a shorter walk through meadows and forest if you prefer a grade 2 walk. (11km, 4.5hrs
or 9km, 3hrs) Day 4: take advantage of the cable car or walkers' bus (pay locally in both cases) to access a range of panoramic, high-level walks. The route you choose will depend largely on the route you took the previous day, but most options take in the blue waters of Lake Moiry. (up to 20km, 6.5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Alpina, as above. Day 5: you have a choice of three routes today. For a day in the high mountains, take the route via the wild Crêt du Midi. Another challenging route leads just above the tree line, along the narrow ridge to the south of the Crêt du Midi, while the low level route passes through beautiful forests and meadows, with some sweeping views. (16km, 5.5hrs or 12.5km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Victoria (3*), Vercorin. A friendly, chalet-style hotel with just 15 rooms set in large landscaped gardens. Owner Frank Wagemaker's cuisine has justly earned an excellent reputation locally. For a bit of luxury on your last two nights, you can upgrade to one of the rooms in the traditional wooden chalets within the grounds. Day 6: on your last day, we suggest you take the cable car (pay
locally) back to the Crêt du Midi, from where you ascend along a
panoramic path, past a waterfall, to Lake Louché (2,580 metres).
This is the upper Rèche Valley, an area rich in wildlife. An easier
walk takes you along a delightful path alongside a stream, with frequent
views in good weather into the Rhône Valley far below, then back to
Vercorin through the lower Rèche Valley. (15km, 5.5hrs or 12km,
4.5hrs) Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Recommendations for extra nights: Romantik Hotel Bella Tola (St-Luc) for relaxation and extra walking. Take the Train and break your journey for a night in Paris on the way, staying at one of our favourite Parisian hotels. Read about one traveller's experiences in her personal travel diary. Extension: to see the Matterhorn close up, stay three nights in chic Zermatt at the 4-star La Ginabelle. Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. Similar holidays: The Bernese Oberland (grades 2 & 3), Villages of the Engadine (grades 2 & 3), The High Dolomites (grades 2 & 3), The High Route (grade 3), Lake Lucerne (grade 2), Lake Geneva to Lake Neuchâtel (grade 2) Prices & travel 2008
Recommended destination airport: Geneva Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):
> Notes on prices > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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Tranquil villages 
